Chemically,
it consists of two hydrogen atoms bound to an oxygen atom. Seventy-five percent
of the earth’s surface is covered in it. Two-thirds of our bodies are comprised
of this substance.

The
answer is obviously water, right?

Water
is necessary for life, but we obtain our water in different ways, and these
differences can affect how we use it. For a variety of reasons, people will filter their water, drink
out of bottles or soften their water.

What
are the differences between well water
and tap water?

Well Water

Individuals
in rural areas may get their water from wells on their land. Some towns and
water supply companies may get their water from deep wells, drilled into the
local aquifer. Water from wells generally
requires less treatment than surface water.

Ground
water, which may be found deep in the underlying rock and soil, contains
far less contamination than surface water. The layers of rock
and soil between the surface and the groundwater
has filtered most contaminants out,
although some minerals may have been picked up by the water as it filtered down
to the aquifer.

Well water tends to have a higher mineral
content than surface water. In most cases, the mineral content will
not be corrosive. If you have water high in calcium or magnesium— “hard
water”—you may want to soften the water to make it better for your pipes and
washing, although
it won’t harm you. Many of the minerals in water are necessary for
human life, although water shouldn’t be regarded
as a significant source of them.

You
may not need to treat your well water otherwise if you have a personal well. You
should check it annually, or anytime it
changes in appearance or taste. If it has become contaminated, a variety of
ways to treat it are available.

One
home remedy for personal well water is
“shocking” the well. While several commercial products for shocking the well
are available, the easiest may be to use
household bleach (unscented). Make sure you buy some bottled water
before you shock the well, as the process will take a day.

Water Supply Systems: Wells and
Surface Water

Water
from wells owned by the town or commercial supplier of water is treated
similarly to groundwater—reservoir—supplies. Although ground water does not
need as much treatment, the suppliers may be subject to tighter regulations if
they mix ground water and surface water.

The
first step in treatment uses positively charged chemicals to remove dirt and
other dissolved particles. This step produces sediment at the bottom of the
water supply. The remaining clear water is then
filtered through charcoal, sand and/or
gravel in varying pore size.

This
filtration removes remaining dissolved particles, including dust, bacteria,
viruses and other chemicals. Finally, a disinfectant such as chlorine is added to kill
remaining parasites.

Some
water supplies may add fluoride to prevent tooth decay. Also, orthophosphate is added
by half the water companies in the country. This chemical neutralizes chlorides,
which are both naturally occurring and can come from road salt, which contribute to pipe corrosion. In the Flint
water crisis, orthophosphates were not added, contributing to the lead in the
Flint water supply, even though adding the chemicals costs $100 per day for the
system.

Wells
vs. Tap Water

Tap
water is the water which comes to you from your town water supply; if you get
your water from a well, you have well water. The water supply system in the
U.S. is generally remarkably safe, even
given some of the recent crises.

Using
a personal well is not permitted in many cities and towns. For public safety
reasons, all residents get their fresh water from the municipal system. This
water is thoroughly and effectively treated
and is safe to drink.

The
mineral content, of course, may affect the taste—the town treatment program may
let some minerals through the system. You may decide that a water filter might
help with the taste of the water.

If
you have your own well, you have some
additional items to consider. Annual testing is
advisable, both for particulate and biologic contamination. Shocking the
well or having it professionally treated
may be a good idea, also, especially for vacation homes at which the water is
off for an extended period. And, depending on the mineral content, you might
want to consider
a water filter, also.